AIR FORCE ACADEMY — Jamil Cooks has auditioned pretty well for his first starting assignment at outside linebacker for Air Force.

The sophomore has the best ratio of big plays to minutes played on the team. Already this season, in a reserve role in two games, Cooks has an interception against South Dakota along with a quarterback sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery — all on the same play — against TCU.

His big moments last year included a blocked punt and a blocked field goal against Navy and a blocked extra point against CSU, key plays in those two victories.

“If you know your assignments, the big plays will come because you know where to be on the field,” said Cooks, a former standout at Sierra High School in Colorado Springs. “If the coaches give me the opportunities, I want to take advantage of them. I run pretty good and that helps.”

Cooks, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, is stepping into the starting lineup next week for senior Patrick Hennessey, who had surgery on an injured thumb after the TCU game.

“We can think of a few big plays from him,” coach Troy Calhoun said. “We have to make sure he’s not giving up a few. He has to get some mistakes ironed out pretty quickly if he’s going to play a lot more snaps.”

Cooks didn’t need an explanation for his coaches’ comments. He accepted the blame for blowing an assignment on TCU’s first touchdown pass by quarterback Casey Pachall last Saturday. The mistake put the Falcons behind 7-0 in an eventual 35-19 loss.

Defensive line coach Ron Burton said Cooks has the physical gifts to be an effective outside linebacker.

“He’s tall and rangy with long arms, and he has the running speed necessary to play outside linebacker,” Burton said. “He’s been in the right place for us most of his playing time.”

Cooks is somewhat of a hometown hero. He also participated in track in high school, running the high hurdles.

“I lot of people here know I went to Sierra High School,” Cooks said. “I have a lot of friends around the city, and I appreciate their support.”

He does have a special way of acknowledging his hometown. When he talks of Colorado Springs, he refers to it as 719, the city’s area code. He came to the Air Force Academy because it’s close to “719” and for the academics.

“A lot of people say I’m a funny dude,” Cooks said. “I had some bumps and bruises growing up like everybody, but I’ve never let any situation get me down in my life.”

Irv Moss worked as a full-time reporter for The Denver Post from 1956 until his retirement in 2016, making him one of the longest-serving journalists in the country. He first worked for the newspaper as a copy boy in early 1953, twice leaving the paper to do some electrician work, before returning in 1956. He covered every sport in the state of Colorado in his 60-year career, including the Colorado Rockies, Olympics, and high school sports.

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